His Amorem

Entering Mirkwood

Later that afternoon, the company saddled seven ponies and one horse, meaning everyone other than Gandalf would have to pair up for the ride. Kili reached down for Keerla but as she prepared to climb on, pain shot through the bridge between her legs and she grimaced.

"Are you okay?" he asked immediately, "Are you hurt?"

"I'll have to ride side saddle," she muttered, low enough for only him to hear, "Let me sit in front of you."

"Alright, oi Fili!" he called his brother over, "Give us a hand will you?"

Fili smirked at the pair of them, and started to make a joke but the pain on Keerla's face stopped him from getting the words out properly.

"Mahal, Kili what did you do?" he asked, putting his arm around the Elleth supportively.

"Well, Keerla, obviously," the dwarf archer shrugged, making Keerla slap his leg.

"It's not his fault," she then said, smiling at Fili, "I um, i started my bleed."

"Oh," the two dwarfs said in realisation, then Kili frowned.

"Hang on, you haven't had a bleed since we started the journey."

Fili helped her up onto the saddle before she explained, quickly excusing himself from the conversation with, "She may be my sister now, but i still do not need to hear this."

"There's a herbal remedy," Keerla said, shifting in the saddle to lean against Kili's chest, "it stops me having a bleed every month, but i have used it all. Hopefully i can find what i need once we're out of Mirkwood."

Kili nodded in agreement, then asked, "Um, if you're having your bleed, does that mean you're not-"

"The herbs also stop me conceiving a child," she snickered, "Do not worry, i carry no babe in my belly. Though if we were to partake in activities after my bleed, there is a good chance of it."

"No alone time until you have what you need, got it," he nodded to himself, making her laugh again.

"Go now, while you have the light," Beorn spoke, making them both jump, "The hunters are not far behind."

They didn't stop through the night, which made things rather uncomfortable for Keerla but she didn't say anything. It was mid-afternoon when they came to a halt at the edge of a gloomy-looking forest.

"Here lies our path through Mirkwood," Gandalf grumbled.

"Mirkwood," Keerla breathed, eyeing the archway that Gandalf stood in, "I never wanted to come back here."

"I'm sorry you have to," Thorin said, pulling his pony alongside them, "Why are you riding side saddle?"

"I am female, Thorin," Keerla rolled her eyes, "And it is the worst week of my month."

"Oh," he mumbled, catching on, "My apologies, we should have stopped."

"It doesn't matter, i didn't want you to do so on my account, and Kili was nice enough to let me ride like this."

"Yes, well, we should get moving."

They watched him dismount and walk off, and Kili groaned, "Does he hate me or something, is he angry i married you? No, no i bet it's because you married me and not him."

"Kili shut up," Keerla laughed, taking Fili's hand as he helped her down from the pony, "He just doesn't want to go through Mirkwood, like Fili said yesterday."

Kili huffed but jumped down and unfastened his bow and quiver from the saddle, then realised Keerla's was not there.

"Where's your bow?" he asked, then eyed her figure, "And your sword?"

"We travel through Mirkwood to face a dragon, a sword and a bow will be of little help. I will travel and fight better without them weighing me down. My fighting blades will do. Should i need them," she grinned at Kili, "Beorn will bring them to me."

"No sign of the Orcs. We have luck on our side," Dwalin grumbled, looking around.

"I would not call it luck," Fili muttered, standing close to his brother.

"Indeed," Keerla agreed, gesturing back the way they came, where Beorn's bear form stood watching over them in the distance. "He'll keep us safe as long as he can."

"Set the ponies loose," Gandalf said suddenly, making several of the dwarfs jump, "Let them return to their master."

"This forest feels," the hobbit hesitated as he stopped near one of the trees, "Sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?"

Keerla pressed her hand against the bark and frowned, feeling nothing but hollow wood beneath her skin. The trees had been full of life when she left, though darkness had begun to creep in, it was not that extensive.

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance south," she murmured, answering Bilbo's question, "This is our path, and only the Valar know if we will make it."

"That gives us confidence, lass," Bofur announced cheerfully, patting her on the shoulder.

"Trust me Bofur." She glanced back at him, "I'd take Smaug over this forest any day."

The dwarf paled considerably, and backed away to stand with his cousin and his brother. Kili placed a hand over Keerla's puling her away from the tree.

"Stay with me," he told her, "Don't leave my side in this place."

"I will do my best," she agreed.

"Not my horse! I need it," Gandalf announced as he reappeared from within the trees, Keerla hadn't even noticed he was gone.

"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo asked, causing the elf to frown.

She pulled away from Kili who was speaking with his brother about the wizard's departure, and slipped into the forest. Not far from the elven gate, she found a statue of Galadriel wrapped in leaves and twisted branches, underneath which she could make out the red painting of an eye.

"No," she murmured, reaching out slightly, but pulled her fingers away before she could touch it, "It cannot be."

"What is it?" Thorin asked from behind, making her jump.

She turned to see the company minus Gandalf stood behind her, ready to enter Mirkwood. She glanced back at the eye, but shook her head.

"Nothing Thorin, i was thinking aloud."

"Well, come on," he grumbled, "We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day."

"Durin's Day. Let's go!" Dwalin urged the others as they fell into line.

"This is our one chance to find the hidden door," Thorin said as he led the way, trying to encourage the others to continue though it was obvious they all feared what lay ahead.

Kili pulled Keerla along behind him, with Filibehind her. She knew she should have been at the back instead of near thefront, but her need for comfort was greater than the need to be sensible. Andif she had been at the back, she would probably have paid more attention to thepath beneath her feet. 

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